5 questions about donating your body to science

NAME: Michelle D. Lazarus TITLE: Assistant professor in the Department of Neural and Behavioral Sciences and institutional representative for the Humanity Gifts Registry of Pennsylvania COMPANY:Penn State College of Medicine YEARS IN FIELD: 10

Q: Are there criteria for donating a body to a medical school? For instance, is there an age limit?

A: Donations are welcomed to be pursued from all those willing to gift their bodies for educational and teaching purposes through the Humanity Gifts Registry (HGR), the nonprofit agency of Pennsylvania concerned primarily with the receipt and distribution of bodies donated to all medical and dental schools in the state.

There are very limited circumstances in which a body is rejected for donation to a medical school by the Humanity Gifts Registry. These special instances include bodies of persons dying from highly communicable diseases and/or crushing injuries. Individuals whose remains are autopsied, decomposed, embalmed, obese or who have had recent extensive surgery prior to death may also be denied. Age, however, is not a factor in determining donation status.

Q: How long do studies on the body take, and what happens to the body afterward?

A: Studies
on the bodies that are donated for medical education and research can
take up to two years (or longer in some cases) to be completed. Medical
schools, like Penn State College of Medicine, design curriculum and
educational initiatives to ensure that each body donated significantly
impacts the learning of its students. This dedication and commitment to
both the gifted body, as well as the education resulting from the
bequest, impacts the study time devoted to a particular body donation.

Upon
completion of the studies, the donation remains are cremated and the
ashes interred in one of the HGR established cemeteries; either in
Philadelphia, Hershey or Pittsburgh. At Penn State College of Medicine,
we have a medical student-led memorial ceremony each year at the Hershey
Cemetery to honor each of the donors who gifted their bodies to further
medical education. This ceremony provides an opportunity for the
families of those donors to convey stories about their loved ones and an
occasion for the students who benefited from these donations to show
their appreciation and to reflect on the important role these
individuals played in their growth both personally and professionally.

Special
arrangements can be made for families wishing to have the ashes
returned for private burial. Specifically, at the time of the donor’s
death, the family submits a written letter from the next of kin
addressed to the HGR requesting the return of the family member’s ashes.

Q: Is it possible to be an organ donor and still give the body for research?

A: In certain circumstances, it is possible to be listed as an organ donor while still retaining the ability to donate your body for research and educational purposes. Not all bodies that are listed as organ donors are used in this capacity.

Any gifted body that is still fully intact, regardless of designation as an organ donor, may be considered for donation to the HGR. In addition, the HGR can accept a body following skin and eye donations. Furthermore, although it cannot be guaranteed, there are times that the registry might be able to accept a body donation following removal of internal organs.

Q: Can someone specify which school is to get the body?

A: Yes. The HGR strives to meet all designated location preferences for body donation. There can be very rare unforeseen circumstances in which a body is donated to an alternative site. For instance, if a given institution is unable to accept the donated body, the body may be gifted to another institution within the state. Greater than 95 percent of body donations that have requested specific schools for gifting are honored. So, if you have special ties to an institution, do not hesitate to write that request down on the donor consent form.

Q: Are there any costs associated with donating a body for research?

A: Yes. The costs associated with body donation, not covered by the HGR, revolve around transportation. The HGR does contribute minimal fees toward the cost of body transportation from the deceased’s location by a licensed funeral director to one of our medical teaching institutions. The donor’s next of kin or the donor’s estate is responsible for the majority of the cost for this aspect of body donation.

The HGR contributes significantly to other financing associated with body donation; including the cost of cremation, burial of the ashes in our established cemeteries and the celebration of remembrance ceremonies held by the HGR once a year to honor those that have gifted to their bodies.